Snagglepuss89
Dezuel
Izurich
AlteredTundra
stone
Little BillLiving the Suite Life pt. 3
๐๐๐ฅ: ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ. ๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐ / / ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐, ๐ป.โ. / / โ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ฅ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช โ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐
Ernest | Emma | Hazel
๐๐๐ฅ: ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ. ๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐ / / ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐, ๐ป.โ. / / โ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ฅ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช โ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐: โ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค๐ / / ๐ก๐๐
Collab with @Diggerton and @GreenGoat
The maids had done a pretty swanky job at erasing the aftermath of the night before. Ernie inspected the mini bar's shelves, impressed that they had managed to replace every single bottle of that expensive stuff Hazel had toppled. This really was a luxury hotel.
During their short stay in Washington Emma had been doing her utmost to avoid the outside world. Between the hostile regulars, the snooty rich people they shared the hotel with, and the ceaseless army of reporters she found that she had absolutely no interest in braving the grounds outside their penthouse. And so it was that today she found herself once again wandering aimlessly in the small space, searching for distraction, something to keep the incessant whispering of her stigma at bay.
Today, unfortunately, that distraction would be Ernie.
It was just her luck that she rounded a corner to find the newly balded Aberration carefully inspecting a shelf of liquor. For a moment she thought that if she kept walking she'd be able to get by without having to say 'hi', and she very nearly did that... if not for the fact that she squeaked out said "Hi." before she had time to finalize an escape plan. She slowed for a moment, mentally cursing years of trained politeness. Maybe he wouldn't want to talk? She hoped he wouldn't want to talk.
The boy froze and turned slowly. Was that really--oh. It was. It was a good thing that they were on speaking terms now, he supposed, though he wasn't sure what they would speak about. Hopefully something short and nice and didn't end up with a screaming match. Unlikely, but a guy could dream. His face produced a polite smile despite the cringing memory of resentment still lingering in his chest.
"Morning, Emma. Enjoying the Penthouse?"
Great. He was talking to her. She stopped abruptly, turning to him. โMorninโ. Itโsโฆ pretty nice. A little too nice for us Subs, huh?โ a small smile appeared on her face, her tone becoming joking. She wasnโt going to tip him off to the fact that he was the last person she wanted to talk to. After all, she had no doubt that if she made him made he would tell the othersโฆ well, everything.
'For us...' Something about that statement on what subnaturals deserved pissed him off a little. Maybe it was because of the talk he had with Angelique the day before. Or maybe it was because it was Emma who was saying it. Either way he had to remember that she'd only had her mark for a few weeks. Getting cranky would do him no good.
Ernie leaned on the counter, suddenly reminded of the Hazel Incident. Best to stay away from the contamination area. He walked out from the mini bar and took a seat beside it instead, making sure to avoid the chair Hazel had used. Again, contamination.
Wait, Emma was Hazel's roommate! Why didn't he think of this earlier?
"Yeah, it's real fancy stuff," he continued the thread of conversation in the friendliest way he could before launching into his own agenda, "Actually, I should ask you something. Could you hear me out for a bit?"
Emma gave a quizzical glance. This couldnโt be good. โUhhhโฆ yeah, sure, shoot.โ she said hesitantly.
It was important to watch his wording around Emma. He needed to concentrate, tread that thin ice so that-- "So what's wrong with Hazel?"
...Huh. Overthinking really had its consequences.
Emma pursed her lips. She wasnโt quite sure how to respond to that, so she didnโt, at least not yet, โWhy? Did she do something to you?โ was all that Emma choose to say for the moment.
Ernie frowned in return. She hadn't heard about her roommate's rampage at Wisford? That was something he needed to prod about too but he wanted to get this out of the way first. Keep things simple.
"Last night she chugged about seven different spirits and threw up on my shoes. Pretty much naked the entire time. Destroyed the TV too," he recounted somewhat irritably, nodding towards the screen that had been replaced in the night. The deep indent in the marble beneath the television would confirm his story.
โOhโฆ oh no. Ernie, do me a favor and make sure she doesnโt get drunk again.โ Emma didnโt want to imagine what a drunk Hazel was like, especially since she could guess with almost certainty that the girl hadnโt been drunk before.
Emma sighed. She wasnโt going to dodge the question again, โHazelโsโฆ man, I donโt know. I thinkโฆโ Emma glanced at her cuff, deciding that if Kardos was listening he probably wouldnโt care, โI think they did something to her. I donโt know what, butโฆ itโs likeโฆ I brought her flowers when she was hospital and she tried to eat them. Itโs likeโฆ sheโs a child.โ
โJustโฆ yโknow, sheโs a not a bad person, she just doesnโt know how to deal with people. Doesnโt know a lot about the world.โ
A slight glance away as a tinge of guilt hit him. Ah, the cocktails were a bad idea after all. Probably better that Emma didn't know about that part of the night. There were other details to focus on anyway.
Like a 'child', one that didn't even know what flowers were? One who was attracted to colourful bottles of strange liquids and refused to follow instructions? That aligned with everything he'd seen of her the night before. Not so much the violent outbursts though. His frown only deepened at Emma's suspicions. Of course. He couldn't forget that monster attacks and trigger-happy guards weren't the only thing to fear at the Institutes.
"Did they, whoever they are... no, lemme say that again. Do you know where she came from? Have you ever asked?"
โYeah, actually, I have asked. Or I tried to at least. The only answer I got was โI donโt knowโโ Emma sighed again, chewing on her lip slightly, โIโm not if thatโs entirely true but I doubt Iโll get a better answer from her. She doesnโt really talk about herself all that much, if that wasnโt apparent.โ
"Right," Ernie nodded, unsure of what to make of that information. His voice suddenly darkened as he asked his next question, "And when she loses it and starts trying to kill her teammates? Do you know anything about that?"
Emma frowned. And there it was, exactly what she had been expecting, a truth she couldnโt ignore. Her friend was completely ready to kill her other friends. Or, at least, thatโs what everyone had been telling her. โIโฆ I heard thing, but I never saw what happened. Care to fill me in?โ
Ernie obliged, recounting the journey he and Christmas had been making to reach the offensive support team. The Collector, Hazel's screams, Angelique's heroic rescue. Everything, except for his own gunshots and panic.
"Christmas lost consciousness from that. Our healer could have died. This isn't the kind of thing I can wave off easily, even if she's just a child."
โYeah. Youโre right.โ
A truth that wasnโt easily admitted. Something sheโd rather dance around, not vocalize.
Just remember, youโre my friend, and for what itโs worth, I worry about you.
The memory was bitter. Emma wasnโt even sure if she meant what she said. How could she be friends with someone like that? A danger to the group, a danger to Marcus, Callan, Siena, a danger to everyoneโฆ this time it was Christmas, but would she be willing to handwave it as a rare outburst when it hurt someone close to her?
โWe need to keep an eye on her, but weโre still on the same teamโฆ Iโฆ I donโt know, Ernie. I donโt know what we can do.โ
A grimace as the boy recalled his conversation with Cal. Using the Stigma as an excuse to cover up something you'd rather not own up to. That was what bad people did. But Hazel, that girl too childish to do something like that, was she really...
"I...I don't think she's an irredeemable crapsack, at least. But I don't know what to do either. Just keep an eye on her like you said and--"
And what? Hope for the best, like he was doing with Lily? It was just so weak. Ernie scratched his head meekly, wanting to end this miserable topic already, before he remembered something else.
"Actually, do you have some time? I kinda need to ask you to do a favor for me."
โWell, uh, I guess Iโm not doing a ton around here, but it depends on the favor.โ Emma grimaced internally. Why was Ernie, of all people, asking her for a favor? The bad feeling she had earlier returned.
Urgh, let's see if he could phrase this properly. He cleared his throat before speaking, suddenly feeling very sheepish.
"I was hoping you could check up on your roommate for me, see if she's okay? She's gonna be really feeling it after everything that happened last night. I'd do it myself but, uh..." Here came the hard part, "I tried putting her back in one of the robes before I left but it hadn't really stayed on even before she got to the liquor so I'm not sure if it'd even be on when she woke up. I thought you'd be able to help since you're her roommate and you're probably used to that sorta thing with her anyway and..."
He trailed off, unable to hold in the awkwardness he was feeling. The heat he was unable to suppress flooded to his cheeks and he looked away in a poor attempt to conceal it.
Emmaโs eyes narrowed. Ernie was acting weird. Weirder than usual. And then suddenly the words parsed in her head. He tried putting her back in a robe before he left? Heโd mentioned before that she was naked, but it was only now that she thought about it. Emmaโs mouth widened a little before her face turned to anger, โWait, what the fuck? You didnโt do anything weird with her, did you?โ
The boy took a while to process Emma's words before his expression changed into one of indignant horror.
"What? No, I'm not into drunk girls like that!" Wait, that sounded wrong. "Or girls!" No, that would definitely give her the wrong impression. "Or guys!" ...Better?
No, there had to be a better way to explain his feelings when it came to this sort of naked stuff. He just needed some time to find it. His thinking face pointed to the wall behind Emma, as if it would suddenly print out the exact words he needed.
Emmaโs eyes flashed with malice, โDenying it like that just makes you sound suspicious! I swear to fucking god Ernie if I find out you did anything with that girl...โ Emma exhaled sharply, frustration evident.
Ernie's heart pounded, but whether it was from fear or Emma's contagious fury, he wasn't sure.
"Hey, I don't even like that naked crap, it doesn't work for me! And it's not my fault that she can't wear a robe properly. I found her like that!"
Wait, that sounded wrong again.
"If anything, I was trying to put her clothes back on!"
Emma sighed, โOkay, okay, whatever, I donโt need you to tell me all about your sex lifeโฆ or lack thereofโฆ Iโll just find out from Hazel. Iโm watching you, Ernie.โ she didnโt spend the brain power on trying to decipher what he meant by saying he wasnโt interested in that โnaked crapโ, as he so expertly put it.
"Lack! Big lack!"
Ernie led the suspicious girl to Hazel's room, recalling in despair the vomit-seeped footsteps the pair had taken last night to the door. Once they were there, Ernie knocked and inwardly prayed that Hazel would vouch for him.
"Hazel, are you in there? Or, like, awake? Emma's coming in to check on you."
A nod to Emma. "I'll wait outside."
Hazel's eyelids flickered open, the knocking at the door seemingly pounding on her head as well. She had felt bad ever since morning, enough to conclude the drinks last night was drugged or something similar. Was it one of those drug tests? They had that several times before they perfected the drugs she was taking daily now, though nothing that made her head hurt this much.
She tumbled out of bed, unwrapping herself from the blanket, though she did not feel well enough to make the rest of the way towards the door, or even to open it. Indeed, she had not even bothered to dress herself, affected as she was by that splitting headache.
"I am awake. Kindly do not knock so hard on the door."
"Sorry Hazel!" Ernie's voice called out from behind the wall.
Emma gave Ernie a glance. Maybe it was a glance of disapproval, or anger, or nervousness, but for now it was just a glance. Emma cautiously opened the door, to findโฆ of course, Hazel was naked. Emma averted her eyes, taking care to close the door behind her.
โHey, Hazel. How ya feelinโ?โ she said with a slight grimace.
"Motor functions, affected. Cognitive ability, affected. Overall functions, below standards for combat effectiveness." Hazel paused for a moment. "There is hammering in my head as well."
Emma nodded. This was the kind of response she was starting to expect from Hazel. โRight, that makes sense. Sounds like youโre hungover.โ Emma gave the girl a crooked smile, โIโm sure thisโll make you think twice next time you find a bunch of mystery bottles, huh?โ Emma said, half-serious half-joking. โDo you, uh, need help getting dressed?โ she asked, remembering Ernieโs earlier plight.
"Mystery... bottles..."
They were mystery bottles? Then why was it Ernie seemed familiar with them? Surely that meant the boy was some sort of keeper for those bottles. "They weren't a mystery. I am sure. He-" Hazel gestured towards the door, indicating the boy waiting outside, "made me a few drinks from those bottles. Therefore, he must have...ha..have knowledge of what was inside."
Even if her thoughts were a bit impaired under the effects of this odd sort of mind suppression, she was still slightly proud she could make such an astute observation. "I.. do not, for I am not hungover, as evidenced by my position on the floor, and the lack of any ropes."
Emmaโs eyes narrowed. โSo, he was making you drinks, huh?โ she whispered angrily, making sure that if Ernie was listening he couldnโt hear. โDid heโฆ did he do anything weird? Anything that made you uncomfortable? Like, did he touch you? Yโknow, around...โ Emma gestured vaguely around her own private parts, โAround there?โ
"I do not understand."
Grabbing the edge of her bed, Hazel dragged herself up onto it, resting her head on the cool cover. That helped slightly, but she still felt like triggering her own collar to sleep though this horrid experience.
"I.. I do remember him taking me to bed, even though I vomited once."
It wasn't something she was about to forget, for the alcohol hit her like a truck there. The drinks were oddly alluring, but there seemed to be something wrong with them if it hit her head like this afterwards.
โHeโฆ took you to bed? He didnโt, like, try getting into the bed with you, right?โ Emma said, eyes narrowing further. She had next to no trust for Ernie, and her suspicions were only growing. โHe kept his clothes on, right?โ
"I do not remember." Hazel turned towards Emma, noticing her change in expression. "Is there something wrong? I do not remember much of last night. I think it was the drinks he made."
โNothing. Justโฆ if you want we can go get breakfast, something to help with your head, or you can keep sleeping. Your choice. Iโm going to go talk to Ernie, Iโll be right back.โ Emma turned on her heel, heading for the door without another word. She took care to close it carefully behind her, repressing the urge to slam it for Hazelโs sake.
"Yes, let us go for breakfast." Hazel spoke, as the door closed behind Emma.
As soon as it shut Emma turned to face Ernie, anger growing in her eyes. Determination appeared beside her, staring him down in equal measure. Emma might not be able to physically intimidate Ernie, but maybe he would, โSo, Ernie, you neglected to tell me that you were the one making the drinks. What the hell is wrong with you? You should know better! Andโฆ and she says that she doesnโt remember what happened last night!? Explain.โ
Ernie had been waiting with a hopeful smile to greet the two when they eventually left the room, though it immediately faded into a shocked glare when the accusations and summon were leveled at him.
"Don't do that with the fucking guard looking at us," he hissed lowly, trying to back away despite the complete lack of space between him and the wall now, "I don't want us getting shot over something so stupid."
A grimace broke out as Emma mentioned the drinks. Okay, it sounded really bad now but he swore that it made sense at the time...?
"She was chugging that shit straight out the bottle! I was trying to show her how to drink it re--" 'Responsibly' was definitely not the right word here, "--properly! A-And I don't like what you're implying there. Drinking makes you forget stuff all the time. I don't even know any dealers in D.C.!"
"Oh my god, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You don't know any dealers in D.C.? What the fuck, dude, you have a guy at CC if you want to give someone a roofie?" Emma glanced at the guard, "I don't give a shit who's watching, if you don't have an explanation for this shit I'm going to get Determination to shove his fist down your throat." Emma glared at him, eyes demanding an explanation, or perhaps daring him to try something.
"I don't talk to people in CC! Plus, roofies are the kind of shit I kick people out of parties for!" Ernie's voice rose furiously as his rope was summoned. No chances here.
"Fine, I'll tell you everything. I was watching TV when I caught Hazel chugging Bombay Sapphire at the bar. She started drinking straight out of another bottle before she saw me and fucking spilled it all on the counter, then tried to hide even though I could still see her for some reason. She got to few more bottles before I could stop her but then she asked me how to drink it. So I mixed her a few to keep her occupied while I cleaned the mess she made. There was a really big spill on the ground so I went back to my room to get some towels to temporarily soak it up. And when I got back..."
A sigh. This was going to sound really unbelievable.
"She'd smashed the entire liquor shelf so everything shattered on the ground. The TV was pretty much halved and she was completely naked and upside down on the sofa. I gave her one of the towels to cover up so I could help her get back to her room. That's when she fucking threw up on me, by the way, just one of the gazillion reasons I wouldn't do whatever weird shit you're thinking of to someone. I cleaned her arms and face with a wet towel so she wouldn't feel gross in the morning, used her bathroom to clean my feet, then got her into a robe and made sure she got into bed. I cleaned up her floor then went back to my room so I could shower off properly. Then I went outside and watched the maids the soldier had called to make sure they were cleaning all of it up right. That's all of it."
Emma's eyes tried their very best to see through him. How much if it was true? She had no idea. She knew Ernie was a liar. A good one at that. But at the same time she was unsure if he was a pervert.
No, she had to stop. She had to be sure. Determination disappeared. "If I found out a single bit of that isn't true I'll come looking for you, and Determination isn't just going to go away." Emma looked away, turning back to Hazel's door. She raised her hand to knock, but suddenly paused. "And Ernie, if that happens that rope isn't going to intimidate me." She said, knocking on the door as she finished speaking.
"The rope isn't for your sake, you bitch," Ernie glared but remained silent.
Mewling weakly, Hazel gathered up her strength and opened the door.
"Did you need something else?"
She looked over at Emma and Ernie, wondering what it was that made them look like that. There was a guard there too but he wasn't important; there were guards here and there after all. He certainly looked as if he didn't want any part of this.
Emma's face turned to shock.
Why was she always naked?
The girl averted her eyes. "Alright, get dressed, and then we can go to breakfast?"
Nodding, Hazel simply grabbed a one of those robes and threw it around herself.
"I am ready. Let us depart."
Moving down the corridor, she stopped by Ernie, and waited for Emma to come along.
"Oh, she's in the robe again."
Biting back the despair-filled remark, Ernie called out to the hungover girl. "Hazel, you don't have any clothes besides the robes?"
"I do." Hazel replied simply. "However, it has accumulated dirt and debris from the last fight, as did the chainmail accompanying it, and I have concluded wearing such dirty clothings would be a de... detru...not be beneficial to my health."
"Ah geez, if it's a laundry problem you got you could've come to me for help."
The boy thought to the stash in his room. How many changes of clothes did he still have?
"Could I lend you a shirt to wear under your robe? In case it slips again while you eat?"
"Why?" Hazel tilted her head inquisitively. "Is the robe not to your liking? Should I remove it?"
"NO!" Ernie yelled, preemptively shielding his face before realising that nothing had happened yet, "I mean...no, keep it on. Just...argh."
The Aberration sped to his room and returned with a large, plain green shirt.
"Just wear this for me, please? Then wear your robe over it so you can go to breakfast without causing an incident."
He looked away in anticipation of the girl's next actions, clearly not fond of them at all.
Hazel looked at Ernie for a moment, before shedding the robe and putting the shirt on. It was a bit snug around the chest, but otherwise it was comfortable enough. Donning the robe and tying the sash as best she could, once more she turned to the two, waiting for them to lead the way.
Emma watched the exchange with a suppressed groan.
At least she's clothed now.
Emma turned towards the exit, "Alright then, let's go."
"Mmhmm. Gotta give you lotsa orange juice to fix that head of yours," Ernie strolled slightly behind them.
Emma's walk faltered slightly as soon as she heard Ernie chirp in behind them. He was... following.
Oh no.
Emma turned her head around, continuing her pace but now looking at Ernie, โOh, where you headed to Ernie?โ she said jovially, suppressing any hint of malice.
Ernie blinked, for once not oblivious to Emma's conniving nonsense. His intentions had been obvious, after all.
"Just heading to the breakfast buffet with Hazel," he returned in his own sickly sweet tone. He hated how he had to constantly monitor his reactions around her, "Gotta make sure she doesn't cause an incident and that she's okay and all. You know, the whole reason I asked you to talk to her for me in the first place?"
A crooked smile crossed Emma's face, โMmmmm, feel like tagging along? The more the merrier.โ Emma said, not missing a beat, โLet's just make sure we stay away from the mimosas, you wouldn't want to cause another incident.โ
"I'd need something stronger than mimosas to deal with this bullshit," Ernie thought bitterly but remained jovial on the surface.
"I'm sure the bar section'll be too crowded for us to breach anyway. Regulars gotta have some kind of coping mechanism once they see you walking in, right?"
โOh yeah, us Abes are pretty scary, aren't we? At least we've got a veteran like you escorting us! I'm sure you've got all kinds of tips on managing the Stigma... y'know, make we don't hurt anyone.โ
A slight eye twitch. A chip in the boy's veneer.
"Oh, of course. Plenty of tips. For example, I know we had a bit of a harrowing incident in the Penthouse but the trick to deal with that kinda stress is to avoid singling out a target you know you dislike and screaming all of your rage and inner frustrations at them! Physical isn't the only type of hurting after all!"
Emma's smile only got bigger. โRight!โ Emma gave a slight laugh, โThat does seem a little fucked up. Maybe I should try emotionally abusing my friends and...โ
And getting little girls killed.
Emma stopped talking.
Ernie glanced sideways to the girl. Had he crossed a line there? But he hadn't been wrong, right? Better to just stop now, preserve whatever weird truce they still had.
Even if he really wanted to rub it in that he'd won this time. Even if he really wanted to see her break again.
"Yeah..." he looked away and clenched his fist, talking more solemnly now, "Let's just...avoid doing stupid things. Don't want another incident."
Emma nodded, her smile diminishing a little, โYeah, Ernie, let's do that. Wouldn't want to ruin a nice brunch, right?โ
"Right."
The trio finally reached the buffet, which was thankfully still set up for breakfast and brunch despite the hour. The usual reaction met them, though the sparseness of the dining crowd considerably lessened the hostility that Ernie was used to from his previous meals in this place.
"I'll get us a table," he said, departing with some fruit on his plate before asking a waiter for a pitcher of orange juice to be placed at the table he sat at.
For her own plate Emma began piling items on it- eggs, bacon, pancakes, the essentials. Emma spared Hazel a small glance, assuming she had no concept of a 'buffet', "Grab a plate and start throwing whatever looks good on there, Hazel. You should try to find something greasy. My sister always said greasy food was good for hangov- er, for your head."
Taking her words to heart, Hazel brought back a whole platter full of nothing but fried eggs, ham and bacon. A whole lot of bacon. In fact, the eggs and ham looked like they were drowning in the mountain of bacon.
"I have acquired the greasy food."
With her headache still there, but ignored for the sake of some odd food she had rarely ever eaten, she started to dig in into her food, tasting first the eggs and ham, but soon focusing only on the bacon. Seeing the pitcher of orange juice being placed upon the table, she started reaching out to it, obviously meaning to just drink it from the pitcher, but stopped when she remembered Ernie's word last night. Staring expectantly towards Emma, Hazel waited for her to drink first, in case there was some special way to drink it.
Emma returned Hazel's look. Was she unsure how to drink the orange juice? She was about to drink it right from the pitcher, wasn't she? Emma gave a small nod, grabbing two glasses and filling them both with orange juice. โHere.โ Emma said with a small smile, extending one of the glasses towards Hazel.
"Thank you."
Nodding, she continued on eating, stopping now and then to take a sip of the orange juice.
"Make sure you drink lots, yeah? It'll help with your head," Ernie advised like a knowing parent. He frowned as he remembered the night before, "Hazel, you spilled the water I gave you on the floor instead of drinking it like I told you to, right? The puddle on the ground was a lot bigger than it should've been."
Hazel choked on her drink at that. Coughing, she recovered quickly and gave an answer just as swiftly.
"It is possible that you have remembered wrong."
A technically true answer, but still she did not meet Ernie's eyes as she continued eating.
Ernie raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Relax, I won't get mad. I'm only asking 'cos I know your head probably feels like a nightmare right now. The water was supposed to help with that so next time you go drinking again, remember to have a glass of juice or normal water between drinks, yeah?"
"Also try to stop after, like, four drinks." Emma threw in quickly, picking an arbitary number for Hazel's sake.
Nodding to their advice, Hazel continued on eating. Just four drinks? So all she needed to do was to limit herself to four bottles a day, and she will be fine. Surely this did not mean the orange juice in front of her? It had none of the bite, so she was sure she can drink it as much as she wants.
Still, it was kinda odd to have two people just sitting near her, giving her all these advice and guiding her. There was an unfamiliar feeling welling up from beneath the haze, but she paid it no mind as she tried to finish all these delicious bacon.
Emma took a delicate bite of her eggs, mulling over the mystery that was Hazel. Now might be a good time to take a whack at trying to get some answer from her, "Say, Hazel, where were you before you met us?" Emma asked plainly. Last time she'd tried that question she'd asked where she was from, but now she was hoping that the change in phrasing would get an actual answer.
"Before you came to USARILN East," Ernie added, hoping it would help.
Hazel closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them and straightening up in her chair as she stopped eating.
"Theta level access required. Password needed to access."
Without a doubt, it did not seem as if she would let anything out without a proper access code. Only those people back in those facilities, people with a lot of connection, and those with her full report and dossier had the knowledge of such a password, and even then, the password would be meaningless considering they would, by then, know more about the facility than she did.
Emma returned Hazel's answer with a wide eyed stare. After a moment of hesitation she slowly said, "Nope. Don't have that." instead she turned to Ernie- another mystery to be solved, "What about you? Before East?"
Ernie looked at Hazel, completely perplexed. It probably wouldn't be as easy as guessing 'password123', huh? A dead end for that conversation. He took a sip of his orange juice to buy time, trying not to glance at Emma as he did so. Was she trying to get some dirt on him? He wouldn't let that happen so easily.
"West," he answered curtly, "And before that, Reno. You?"
"New York. The city." Emma said with a small nod, taking a sip from her own drink, "Tribeca to be exact. Moved to the middle of nowhere and then got picked up by these guys."
"Oh. New York, like in all the movies. Have a lot of fun there?"
โIt's a wonderful town.โ Emma sang dryly. โYeah, I mean, there's a ton of stuff to do there. City that never sleeps. What about Reno? Into that underage gambling?โ
Ernie blinked. Was she seriously trying to start this shit again? "I dabbled," he answered succinctly, "Reno's a shithole. Not all of us could grow up in Richville."
Emma's face dropped down to a food as her hand shot up to push a strand of loose hair out of her face, โSorry.โ she muttered, โI didn't mean it that way.โ
Ernie didn't think he'd ever be able to understand this girl. "Nah, I thought you were trying to start shit or something. I'm sorry too."
Another awkward sip of orange juice before he started again.
"I dunno. Sometimes I feel like you say stuff just so you can have an excuse to get pissed at me, or so that I get pissed at you. Am I just being paranoid?"
Emma frowned.
โI don't know.โ
That was as honest as she had been since she'd gotten to USARILN. โI don't want to blame it all on the stigma, but...โ she didn't want him to hear her voice shake a little, but she was sure he would.
He looked on passively, preparing his usual pile of napkins should she start crying again.
"Same," he murmured but tried to smile reassuringly. There was still too much he needed to become before he could forgive her, or even give her genuine advice. This wasn't like talking to Angelique or Lily, "I guess it'd be too much to ask you to stop? I don't think I'm gonna be able to just not be angry all the time. I've got Stigma problems here too."
โI wish I could stop.โ Emma took a bite of her eggs. How long would it be until everyone realized how fucked up she was? โI guess that's why being an Aberration sucks, huh?โ
"Totally," he nodded. The pitcher was almost empty so he called the waiter over for a refill, "So does your Stigma make you accuse everyone of r...rape or am I just an unlucky, special case?"
Emma was in the middle of a sip of orange juice as he spoke, but as she processed the word she choked on it slightly, quickly putting the glass down. โOkay, c'mon, even with the stigma you've got to admit that shit sounded pretty shady.โ
She look down again.
โBut still... I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. You were trying to help. I... shouldn't have threatened you.โ there was a genuine note of remission in her voice. Maybe, in a move that surprised even her, Emma wasn't lying to Ernie.
Another apology. She...meant it. Why did that unsettle him so much? The boy fiddled with the food on his plate. It would've so nice to slap that remorse back in her face, hold her vices against her. To stay angry. But he'd seen the same in her, called it out already. Staying angry was the easy way out here. He'd taken that road too many times. He wanted to believe that he was better than that, even for just one moment.
"Better than that? Or just better than her?" that voice sneered and Ernie's fist clenched around his fork. It didn't matter either way.
"Apology happily accepted," he nodded good-naturedly before something else occurred to him, "Wait, I sound shady?"
The boy seemed to be in genuine dismay over this.
Emma laughed a little, โC'mon. The drinks, the nudity, I know now that wasn't your fault, but the whole story sounded a little suspicious. Also that whole, 'I don't know any dealers in D.C.' comment. But I don't need to know the story behind that. Not judging. As long as you're not out to score any Rohypnol or shit like that you can do what you will with your free time.โ Emma gave a small shrug.
He's still your enemy. a voice in the back of her head reminded her.
Ernie chuckled a bit too. Of course he'd sound strange to a girl hailing from Richville. He didn't think it was worth clearing up that he wasn't an addict so he remained quiet.
"Alright, that's fair. Look, I'll stop being so shady and you'll stop jumping to conclusions and tossing that summon around to threaten people. That sound good?"
โAlright. Agreed.โ Emma said enthusiastically with a slight smile planted on her face, taking another bite of egg.
Wait, this doesn't mean we're friends now, right?
โWhat's Reno like anyways? Besides 'shithole'.โ
"Crap basket," Ernie replied before elaborating, "Uh, lemme think. The underage gambling wasn't a total lie but yeah, lotsa casinos. Lotsa dingy places. My suburb was pretty neat though, mostly cos we could afford it. Uh, nightlife there gets pretty rowdy if you stay out too late in the wrong places but that's probably for a lotta other cities too. Makes good business if you play it right. Have you seen Sister Act? The start sums it up pretty well."
โI have, actually.โ Emma said, taking a sip from her drink, โAnd then how did West get you? Do they go as hard as East? House raid? Crazed Aberration on the loose, lassoing up scared civilians?โ
โNot a dig on the rope, just a joke.โ Emma quickly added.
"Not the last one, unfortunately. Got my horse impounded before I could go full cowboy," he riffed back, glad that they could joke between each other now. Or at least try to. It wasn't very fun if they kept having to reassure each other that they weren't looking for an argument. His polite smile faded a notch as he recalled that night, "I was out with a...friend. Got into a stupid fight and got snagged by USARILN asshats waiting around the corner. West had been camping out the city for months so I can't even blame it on bad luck. They only ever go hard when Kleinfelder, our 'principal', wants to make himself look good. East is usually way nastier."
Accurate but vague enough. Except for the 'friend' part. But telling Emma that he was out with his 'boss' would just raise questions he really didn't want to answer.
"How about your capture? Do they have mark checks out east or something? I wouldn't put that below Zhang."
โIt was...โ
Emma sighed, recalling the night. She'd played it over in her head a lot- tried to remember the parts that were fuzzy, tried to justify what the fuck happened.
โIt was shit. After I awakened my sister flew in... for emotional support, or whatever, my parents hated Subs and they were ready to give up on me. Abandon me. My sister wanted to take me with her, try to do the whole fugitive thing, but East was already onto me only a day after she got there. We ran. They caught us. Some jackass hit me over the head with the butt of his rifle and now I'm here. Never did find out what they did with Val.โ
Emma gave a long sigh. It hadn't been something she'd talked about with anyone- why was it that Ernie knew more about her than Marcus?
โThey also do random checks, you're right.โ
Truthfully, that story didn't sound like it ended with Val's life being in safe hands. But Ernie kept quiet for Emma's sake.
"Yeah. It's shitty, hearing about parents turning on their own kids, like they're just strangers in their houses. You'd think years of seeing their kid grow up would beat some sense into them. Your sister sounds like a total badass though. Plane tickets aren't just handed out on the street these days. Having someone who's got your back like that sounds great."
A wistful smile placed itself on Emma's face, โIt really was. Val was the best sister I could of asked for. She was really the coolest person I've ever met. At least she was there for me...โ Emma sighed, her face turning downcast, โShit sucked. My step-father's father was killed by a Sub and I guess that was enough of an excuse to toss me out the door. Some people are just so stubborn, y'know? I get why he didn't like Subs, but you'd think...โ
Emma paused.
โSorry, I guess I'm talking a little too much.โ Emma said with a small laugh.
Ernie nodded. "Makes sense. We can't really hope that people can change their views so easily. D.C.'s the perfect example of that."
At the last comment, he shook his head. "Don't worry. Talking's a lot better than arguing. Even if it is bumming both of us out a little."
โYeah...โ Emma stared down at her plate, picking at a piece of sausage with her fork, โWhat about you, Ernie? You haven't really mentioned your family.โ
Oh. Ernie glanced around sheepishly. If he lied about it now, it would only kick him in the ass later. "They, uh, died before I awakened. Didn't have to deal with getting kicked out like you, I guess. No siblings like Val either."
Not cool. He needed to get the attention off himself.
"What about you, Hazel?"
"Egh av nho mengmories ofg ehm" She replied, with her mouth full.
Certainly the only memories Hazel could remember was being at the facility. One of the earliest she could recall was trying to read a piece of paper they left in her sterile white room.
A sad smile came onto Emma's face. โTry not to speak with your mouth full, Hazel. It'll help people understand you.โ it was her job to tell her these things, right? โSorry. About your guys' families. Guess my problems aren't so bad, huh?โ Emma said mournfully.
Ernie looked between the two before leaning back and stretching. Not as bad, for sure. Didn't make it any less of a problem though, as he'd learnt at West. "Well, just cos your problems aren't 'big', doesn't mean it hurt any less for you. Sounds like it would've been emotionally rough, that ordeal with your parents and getting separated from your sis."
โYeah...โ
Emma sighed, food starting to deplete.
โI'm sure we've all got some shitty stories. There aren't a lot of happy lead ins to ending up in a place like this.โ
"It is magic kiddie prison, as much as they try to disguise it as a fancy school. Shitty stories are the norm. Some people just feel like hiding it more than others."
He couldn't help but think bitterly to Cal at that last statement.
Emma shrugged, โSome people don't like talking about it. Can't say I blame them, a lot of the time it's not an easy thing to say. For a lot of people saying stuff like that is wha makes it real to them. It's easier to pretend that stuff didn't happen.โ Emma laughed at herself, โSorry, I sound like some kind of Freud wannabe.โ
"Don't worry, I don't know what that is. But you're right. There are different ways of coping with the past. And I got no right judging if people's methods are right or wrong," he chuckled before his tone went solemn again, "Are you glad you told your story, though? Even if it was just to me and Hazel?"
Emma sighed. โYeah, I am. It's easier to talk about shit than hold it in.โ
So why aren't you talking about what really matters?
Emma pushed around a bit of hash brown with her fork before scooping it up and eating it, โAnyways, we're probably going to be here a long time. No point in holding onto secrets, it'll come up eventually.โ
"Yeah..."
Ernie looked down at his empty plate in an attempt to hide the frown that was growing. He hated that Emma's words were right. It was only a matter of time before people found out about his life before West. But even so, he'd hold onto it as long as he could.
"Yeah, you're right."
Emma looked down at their plates. They were done, it looked like. Emma sat up from the table with a small huff before glancing at Hazel, โWell, feel any better?โ
"Yes."
Finishing the last bits of the orange juice, she sat up straight. Her headache was still there, but at least it wasn't as strong as it was before.
"Alright then. Mission accomplished."
Ernest | Allison
๐๐๐ฅ: ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ. ๐๐ก, ๐๐๐๐ / / ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐, ๐ป.โ. / / โ๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ฅ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช โ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐: โ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค๐ / / ๐๐๐๐
Collab with @VarionusNW
Ernie admired the Penthouse's panoramic view as he waited for the elevator. Pretty stuff. Certainly beat the lunch menu he had to internally plan, now that he was supposed to be on Brent's workout diet. Certainly beat the screaming in his fucking arms. The Aberration sighed and adjusted his beanie, cringing as the arm motion sent another spasm of 'ouch' through itself. He'd get used to it soon. First few days were always the roughest.
Allison Revel made her way to the elevator. She was planning on going out, no particular destination, just outside the expensive aura of the hotel suite. Though, for someone hoping to escape the expensive aura, she had made the odd decision to wear clothing that Siena had picked out on Thursday. Allison didn't consider herself a big fan of skirts, but the mid-thigh length maroon skirt seemed comfortable enough, and the short, light jacket over a loose white shirt that was at least not too restrictive. Though the ensemble was impossibly expensive, at least to Allison's tiny budget, she wore it out of respect for her rich friend.
Allison approach was halted when she saw Ernest Mars, the boy who had stabbed her in the eye and somehow befriended her, waiting for the arrival of the elevator. She hadn't talk to him in a number of days. Since it seemed that both of them were heading out, maybe she could try and join him?
"Hey Ernie! Fancy meeting you here. What's up?"
At the sight of the girl, Ernie smiled. Now there was someone he needed to talk to more often. It wasn't every day he met someone who was cool with him even after such a vicious attack.
"Just heading down for lunch. Wanna hang?" he nodded to the elevator, taking in her appearance. Expensive stuff, he guessed, "Looks like D.C. shopping treated you well. You look nice."
"Oh thanks, Siena picked it out," Allison found herself blushing slightly, "and yea, sounds good."
"Haha, I should've guessed. Hope your account isn't too broken," he chuckled, referring to the Arbiter's expensive taste, "Cool, I'm heading to the buffet. Don't know if D.C. food is worth struggling through all those reporters."
The two Aberrations cut through the lunch rush like Allison's knife through concrete, the Regulars once again doing the evasive work for them. Ernie started packing pasta and chicken onto his plate.
"It's been a while since we talked, huh? Hope your sleep habits have improved by now."
Allison stifled a laugh, picking at her relatively barren plate of food, just a piece of chicken. She just didn't feel like eating much.
"Yea, yea. Sleeping so late isn't great, but sometimes something just keeps you awake, you know?" Of course, she was implying playing guitar with Angel, and to a lesser extent bad memories, but she couldn't help but realize what else she was accidentally implying. Allison felt her face getting warm, and stared down at the chicken with the hope that she wasn't blushing enough for Ernie to notice.
"Ah yeah. I'd get it if you weren't sleeping well after everything that's happened," he replied goodnaturedly, oblivious to Allison's implication, "The beds here are like sleeping in a cloud though. Best I've ever had. If it weren't for all the other crazy stuff in this place, I'd just sleep in the entire time! Ah, but I'd be setting a bad example after lecturing you so much, wouldn't I?"
"No, no, it's fine," Allison replied. "You are right, though. Those beds are great, and-" And what? Sharing a bed with Angel is heaven? That's not exactly the sort of thing you should bring up at lunch with a friend. "It all feels like too much, though. I hope we aren't here for too much longer, this isn't the kind of thing I could ever get used to." The richness of it all was overpowering. It felt unatural, too easy to get lulled in to the easy comforts. Some of them, such as the harp, even brought back painful memories.
"Not part of the 1% before USARILN?" he joked.
"Heh... I guess you could say that?" Allison pondered for a moment if she should say anything else. She'd mentioned Tommy in passing with Angel, but she hadn't really talked about that year or so of time much at all. Maybe it would be good to remember that time, at least for a bit? "Lived out of a van for about a year with some friends, we all ran from a shitty orphanage together. Couldn't really risk being seen, 5 subnaturals among us, so we slept in the van. Cramped necks like you wouldn't believe." Allison laughed awkwardly, running her fingers through her hair.
Ernie's eyes widened as the story went on. "Woah, that sounds wild as hell. A gigantic, state-spanning adventure. Was it fun, living on the road? Scary?"
"Bit of both, I guess? Mostly it was just silent driving. There were a few things that I could probably talk about, if you want real adventure stories, but not right now." Allison sighed, taking another bite of chicken. "To be honest, I kind of regret all of it."
A sympathetic nod, though his Stigma urged him to prod further. "Regret not giving yourself up sooner? Or regret getting caught?"
"Sorry... I think that's as much as I'm willing to talk about right now." Allison sipped at a glass of water. "So, how about you? What's your crazy story?"
Another day, then. Ernie swallowed some chicken, filing the information to the back of his mind for later reference.
"Was part of a big subnatural gang in Reno for ages. Got caught in February. Got transferred to East about a week ago," Ernie chewed thoughtfully, summing up the biggest points. Usually he'd give away more details about the Senators but considering some people in the class, considering all the dirty shit they already knew about him and considering the less-than-glamorous reputation the faction had, perhaps it was better to keep that name out of his mouth, "So I get what you mean about the fanciness. Y'know my first ever shower at West was half an hour long? There was no one there to stop me so I just kept going! And all that hot water...man, it was beautiful."
He laughed heartily at the memory.
"Seriously, it's nice to meet another sub who knows what it's like outside the system. Sometimes I feel like the others wouldn't understand if I talked about it too much."
"Yea... Wait, you said you were part of a gang, right? Ernie, do you by any chance remember a-" Allison stopped herself. Why was she asking this? Of course Ernest wouldn't know him, no one would know about him unless he wanted them to, and even then they wouldn't want to share that they knew him. It was a pointless question. Allison settled herself down. "Sorry, nevermind."
"Hm?" Ernie looked up from his plate. Almost done with the whole pile, nice. "I might know 'em. Or maybe not, if they were on the eastern side of the country. Give me a name anyway, or a power, and I'll see if I can recall."
Allison hesitated for a moment.
"A man with red eyes. If you know him, you'll know who I'm talking about."
"Ummm..." Ernie blinked, suddenly uncertain beneath her steadfast tone, "There were plenty of people whose eyes got changed by their powers. I can think of a few people with red eyes but it would, uh, help if I got a name?"
"He... doesn't have a name." Allison felt stupid saying it out loud, but it was pretty much the truth. "Not a real one that I know of, anyway."
"Uh huh..." Ernie raised an eyebrow, not sure how to respond, "Well, if you remember any details," Concrete details, please, "I'll do my best to remember."
"Sorry, it was a stupid question to ask. Shouldn't have brought it up." She picked at her food for a few moments before trying to change the subject. "So... transferred... from West, right? What was West like?"
He smiled, grateful for the subject change. It was starting to get weird before.
"Big and colourful. There are like a gazillion subnaturals there so it's basically a town rather than a school. Lotsa kids, lotsa parties."
A sudden melancholic shift in his gaze.
"West is where all the gimpy powers get thrown, right? So we didn't get sent out nearly as much as East. No Cat 3's, that's for sure."
Less deaths at West too. Far less. But his classmates didn't need to be reminded of what could have been.
"Then again, we never got to ride in a limo and stay in a luxury hotel either. So it's an interesting trade."
"Yea, I guess you could say that." Allison leaned back in her seat. "Not being sent out to fight every week sound good, to be honest."
"Yeah, gotta take that vacation time in-between."
The pair continued talking some more, focusing on less strenuous topics such as their lodgings and the city. Eventually, as the lunch rush wound down and they finished their plates, they made their way back up to the Penthouse, chatting contently all the while.
